Ookami no Sakura
by Crescent Blossom
Summary: She promised that she would wait for him. He promised that he would find her. Their love knows no boundaries and so they find themselves on yet another journey.
1. Prologue

At last the long awaited sequel to Lunar Flower: Sakura, I hope I don't disappoint you all with this fic. The rating was originally supposed to be T, but it could go up with further chapters, it actually depends on how 'mature' you all want this story to be. Well, without further delay here is (hopefully) the second best fanfiction I have wrote next to Lunar Flower: Sakura. Please, read and review!

"_**Ookami no Sakura"**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Wolf's Rain; they belong to their respective owners. (This applies throughout the entire story)**_

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<br>Recommend Song: Prelude 12/21 by AFI**_

It had only been three months since Sakura Haruno had returned to her home, Konoha, from an adventure that had left her changed in more ways than one. Many of the young Haruno's friends and family were happy that she had finally returned, but no matter how hard they tried they couldn't coax her into talking about where she had been, who she had met and what had she experienced. All the Haruno girl did was give them a small smile and touch the choker that she never seemed to remove from her neck.

Sarutobi had passed away a few weeks ago and although the sorrow of the passing of the old Hokage was still in everyone's' hearts, they were eager to accept Tsunade has the new leader of the Leaf Village. Sakura had gone to Tsunade the day after the funeral and requested that she become the new Hokage's apprentice, Shizune was delighted to have Sakura work with her and Tsunade and Tsunade wanted to see just how good Sakura's chakra control was, so she agreed. The Haruno bowed politely and thanked them both; she promised that she would not let them down.

Sakura's body slammed against a tree hard and her mouth opened in a silent cry, but she didn't speak otherwise. The Inuzuka boy began to run to the fallen girl's side, but she shook her head as she struggled to her feet. Akamaru whined from the sidelines as he watched his partner and best friend train against Konoha's cherry blossom.

"Stop holding back, if you're not going to be serious then I'll train by myself," Sakura spoke in a low tone as she stood up straight and touched her choker briefly, before getting into a fighting stance.

"Sakura, don't you think this is enough? You're a human being, you have to take a break," the Inuzuka heir spoke up as he watched the girl ready herself for another onslaught of attacks. Kiba didn't want to hurt his crush, he wanted to protect her.

The sun shined down brightly on the two genin and a warm breeze swept over the training grounds, but neither seemed to notice the heat. Konoha was experiencing a rather warm spring this year and everyone had altered their clothing to endure the temperature. Sakura was clothed in a simple white tube top with her usual black spandex pants. White medical bandages were wrapped around her arms and her headband still remained tied around her eyes, blinding her vision.

"Don't tell me you're scared that you'll be beat by a girl, Dog-boy," Sakura teased lightly as she tried to provoke the Inuzuka into attacking her again, she wanted to be strong. She wanted to protect her precious people; she wanted to make **him **proud.

"Sakura, is something bothering you?" the question caught Sakura off guard and a small frown graced her pretty face, before she quickly smiled and shook her head. Kiba wasn't buying her act for a moment and took a step towards her, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't! It's alright, I'm fine Ki-", Sakura stopped herself from saying his name and Kiba didn't fail to notice her hesitation.

"I'm fine", she stated more firmly and Kiba rolled his eyes but he didn't stop his advance on her.

Kiba Inuzuka didn't know why he was so attracted to Sakura Haruno, sure she was pretty but so were Ino and Hinata. Everyone had their own individual scent and Kiba had to admit that Sakura smelled very nice, but every since she had come back from her mysterious disappearance, her scent had been so much stronger and so much more alluring.

Kiba had to literally stop himself from hugging the girl whenever she cried or tearing apart half of Konoha whenever he didn't know where she was. Kiba hated to admit it, but his crush on Sakura had turned into something much stronger. Kiba reached out a hand to touch her, but stop when an entirely different scent made itself apparent on Sakura.

Kiba stop a half step back and bared his sharp canines at the strong scent, it was clearly an Alpha. Kiba didn't know who the scent belonged to or where that person was, but somehow they had staked a claim over Sakura and the Inuzuka boy didn't like that at all.

Kiba opened his mouth to speak, but didn't manage to form a single word when the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Sakura's markings glowed brightly along her body and Kiba's eyes widened. The ground began to break apart and Sakura pushed Kiba back instinctively, just as a large white flower began to form around the confused Haruno.

Her headband slipped from her eyes but Kiba didn't get a chance to see her eyes before the flower closed, trapping Sakura inside. Kiba tried to approach the flower but the vines struck out against him, which he barely had time to avoid being hit. Kiba stared at the flower in a mixture of disbelief and shock, before Akamaru's bark brought him back to reality.

Kiba quickly grabbed Sakura's headband from off the ground and he sprinted from the training grounds with Akamaru at his heels. Kiba didn't know what he would say to the Hokage about Sakura, he didn't want to face the wrath of the busty Hokage when she found out that something had happened to her newest apprentice.

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><p>"<em>Sleep, my child."<em>

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><p>Tsunade arrived on the training field with Shizune, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata and Kiba each with a bewildered expression on his or her face. Naruto began to step forward but Kiba quickly grabbed his arm to halt the Uzumaki's movement.<p>

"We can't get close to that thing, it has shown signs of aggression," Kiba explained in an anxious tone and Naruto scowled before he turned back to the flower which his teammate was encased in.

"A-Ano, Sakura-san's chakra levels are normal. It doesn't seem like she is in danger," Hinata spoke up in a soft tone and everyone turned their attention to the Hyuga heiress, who had her bloodline activated and was studying the flower.

"Well, what do you suppose we do Tsunade-hime?" Jiraiya asked in a serious tone as he crossed his arms over his chest and Tsunade didn't turn her attention away from the flower as she thought about the situation.

"Hinata said that she wasn't in danger and it doesn't seem like we can get much closer to her. The only option we have is to close off this training field and leave her alone. I'll enlist ANBU to monitor her constantly for any signs of change," Tsunade eventually spoke up and Kakashi bowed his head slightly, while Naruto openly gaped at the busty Hokage.

"Baa-chan, we can't just leave her! Sakura-chan could die!" shouted Naruto and Tsunade glared at him causing the blond to quickly shut his mouth and Shizune stared at her mentor with sad eyes.

"Naruto, there is nothing that can be done!" the Slug Sanin snapped in response and Naruto balled up his hands into fists before he turned his gaze back to where Sakura was trapped inside the flower.

"N-Naruto-kun, it'll be alright. S-Sakura-san seems to be in a dream like state, she is not in any i-immediate danger," Hinata soothed and Naruto nodded his head once before he turned to look at Kiba, who still held Sakura's headband.

"I will be one of the few who monitor her," Kakashi spoke up suddenly startling Hinata slightly, but Tsunade simply nodded her head. Kiba clutched Sakura's hand tightly in his hand and Akamaru whined at his master's feet.

"For now all we can do is let Sakura sleep," Shizune intoned and Tsunade's eyes held a tinge of sadness, which she quickly blocked out before she turned on her heel and headed back to the Hokage Tower with Jiraiya and Shizune in tow.

"Naruto, she's going to be okay," Kakashi tried to ease the Uzumaki's fears but he didn't believe his own words. The Copy Cat Nin disappeared in a swirl of leaves heading home to drown his worries and fears in sake.

Naruto sat on the cracked ground of the training field never losing sight of the flower; he didn't say a word when Kiba and Hinata each sat down beside him. The three genin sat in a calm silence, a cool breeze whipped through the training field and the flower's petals shifted lightly.

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><p>"<em>A new journey awaits you."<em>


	2. Awakening

Thank you my lovely reviewers and everyone else who actually read, alerted and/or otherwise enjoyed the Prologue. Sorry for the late update, but I'm back and I'm ready to get the ball rollin'. Please read and review! :)

**_Chapter 1: Awakening  
>Reccommend Song: Bring Me To Life by Evanescence<em>**

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><p><em>Her taste. His touch. Their love. The wolf and the flower. Both knew that it wasn't real, both knew that it was merely a dream but that didn't stop them from going to one another. The wolf held the flower close and breathed in her scent wanting nothing more than to make the dream turn into reality. The flower could sense the wolf's longing and unease; she reached up to kiss his worries away.<em>

_"It's not going to be enough," the wolf murmured against the flower's lips and the flower paused in her affections to stare up at the wolf. A small breeze drifted between them, a sense of foreboding filled the flower's thoughts._

_"Don't," she whispered and the wolf captured one of the flower's hands in his own as he stared down into her eyes. The flower shived from the intensity of the wolf's stare. The wolf leaned forward and captured the flower's soft lips with his own and the flower sighed softly in content._

_Her arms reached up to wrap around the wolf's neck and the wolf pulled her tighter against his body, their kiss deepening. The flower parted her lips for the wolf and moaned in appreciation when the wolf's skillful tongue slipped into her moist cavern. The world around the flower and the wolf began to slip away from them and the wolf forced himself to pull back from the flower._

_"No time," the wolf panted out and stared at the flower longingly, wanting nothing more than to claim her as his completely. The flower flushed and forced her body to calm down, knowing that the wolf could smell her desire, no, her **need **to be with him._

_"Never enough time," the flower replied in a soft tone and the wolf was instantly holding her, he could practically **feel **the sadness radiating off her in waves. The flower allowed herself to be held, biting her lower lip to keep back the tears that so desperated wanted come. _

_"I love you," the wolf murmured against the flower's neck as he nuzzled and comforted her to the best of his abilities. The flower relaxed in the wolf's strong arms before she looked up at the starry sky that was always present._

_"Only a dream," the flower spoke up softly and the wof stopped his minstrations to listen to the flower. The flower grasped the wolf's hand in her own and smiled sadly. "It's never going to be enough."_

_The flower didn't have time to blink before she foudn herself flat on her back from the wolf laying over top of her, pinning her down while be careful not to crush her with his weight. The wolf's hand caressed the flower's face in the gentlest of touches and the flower leaned into his touch. The wolf kissed and licked at the flower's neck, savoring the soft sounds that she made for him._

_"Help me," the wolf whispered huskily near the flower's ear suddenly and a fresh wave of need flooded the flower's senses, before she could repress it. The wolf stiffened as the scent infiltrated his senses and he made a pained groan, it physically hurt him not to act upon his baser instincts and the flower's body visibly shook with need. _

_"It hurts," the flower felt tears of frustration fill her eyes and the wolf whined softly as he licked away her tears, knowing that it was all he could do to ease the flower at the moment. Both knew that this wasn't real; it was a dream and because of that simple fact, they couldn't be together in the way they longed for._

_"Help me find you," the wolf pleaded softly in the flower's ear and the flower whimpered as the heat inside her continued to grow at the sound of the wolf's seductive voice. The flower knew that the wolf wasn't trying to cause her discomfort and hurt intentionally, but having him so close and unable to give into what both of them wanted, was slowly driving her crazy._

_"I can't, it hurts too much," the flower sobbed and the wolf growled under his breath for being unable to soothe her. The wolf kissed the flower and she instantly responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her body. The world around them began to spin again and the wolf knew he had to pull back soon or he'd wake up from the dream._

_"Please," the wolf's voice sounded urgent against the flower's lips and flower closed her eyes as another wave of pain wracked her body from unsatisfied needs; kissing only eased the pain a bit._

_"To the end of your world," the flower murmured softly as the wolf wiped the tears from the flower's eyes and listened to the flower's words, intently. The flower released a pained sigh and the wolf stroked her soft hair in a mixture of soothing comfort and affection._

_"There you will find the entrance to mine," the flower finished and the wolf kissed flower's forehead. The world around them began to spin rapidly and the wolf knew that his time was almost up. The wolf rested his forehead against the flower's and he watched slowly as her eyes reopened with pure love and adoration written plainly on her face._

_"Time to wake up," he spoke softly against her lips and a small smile found its way to her face. She buried her hands in his hair and massaged his scalp, watching as he closed his eyes in content. _

_"I love you," she whispered and before he could reply to her, their world exploded in a burst of white light._

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><p>Kiba's eyes slowly opened and without a word he rose to his feet. He glanced at his pack as they rested around him in their true forms, each had their own peace in their dreams.<p>

Blue and Hige were curled up beside one another on his right. Cheza laid on the ground a few feet away from him with her head resting on Tsume's side and her hand resting delicately on Toboe's head. The pup had grown, but then again everyone had considering three years had passed.

Gone were the normal sized wolves that they had once been. Kiba didn't understand what had caused them to grow so much but he didn't question it, he felt much stronger and faster. Each of them could easily be considered the size of a horse and Kiba being the leader was the biggest, now towering over Cheza by a foot. Tsume was only a few inches smaller than Kiba, but he didn't mind as he had coem to accept his position as Beta of the pack.

Hige and Blue barely skimmed the top of Cheza's head, while Toboe only reached the Flower Maiden's shoulders. Cheza herself had changed, she still wore the white body suit but her body had developed more, she was slightly taller but only by a few inches. Cheza hair now reached her shoulders, she had recently cut it because she liked to keep it short.

Kiba's mouth opened in a yawn, before he stretched and shook his fur clean of dirt and snow. The movement woke Tsume and the dark wolf's eyes opened slowly, before he focused his attention on the Alpha of the pack.

_'What is it?' _Tsume asked in wolf speech which was equivalent to a series of barks and yips. Kiba moved towards the mouth of the cave that they were residing in before he turned back to Tsume.

_'It's time to go get Sakura,' _Kiba replied simply and Tsume's wolf eyes widened slightly, before he nodded once. Tsume looked at the Flower Maiden resting on her side and he licked the side of her face, before nudging her awake gently.

Cheza's eyes slowly began to drift open and a small smile lit up her face when she saw Tsume. She buried her face in his side and he growled in a rare show of affection, which the Flower Maiden responded to by kissing Tsume's muzzle. Kiba looked away from the couple and turned to wake up Hige and Blue, whom were the most public with their affections.

Once everyone was awake and alert, that meant choosing to ignore Hige's whines about food, Kiba lead them out of the cave. Everyone was silent as Kiba lead them in a seemingly random direction, but they trusted their Alpha's judgement even if they were confused.

"Kiba, this one is curious on what you have dreamed," Cheza spoke in a airy tone from her place on Tsume's back. The rest of the pack looked at Kiba expectantly and he slowed his pace.

_'To the end of this world...there we will find the entrance to Sakura's. That's all she told me and that's more than enough,' _Kiba replied to the pack and no one spoke out to question Kiba.

"This one has also had a dream. This one has dreamed of pain," Cheza stated softly and she rubbed Tsume's neck in a soothing manner when she felt him tense beneath her.

"This one dreamed of fire in a beautiful place. This one heard screams and cries, it hurt this one's heart. This one was so confused and scared, but then this one saw you all. This one was relieved not to be alone," Cheza shared her story to the pack and everyone focused their attention on Flower Maiden with unusual seriousness.

"The relief did not last, because this one noticed something strange. We, this one and you all, were causing the destruction of the beautiful place. It made this one feel sick but this one couldn't stop, then the other one appeared," Cheza paused and her eyes glazed over as she recalled the dream.

The wolves closed their eyes and they sighed when they felt their minds become one with Cheza's, it was a ability that the Flower Maiden had learned a year ago. Inside her mind they viewed Cheza's dream as their own.

_Fire consumed everything, the once beautiful town was now in ruins and bodies littered to ground like unwanted weeds. Cheza's eyes scanned the carnage for any source of life and her eyes locked on those of a strangely dressed man. His eyes held her in place and a sense of despair and guilt filled her. Cheza's attention was drawn away from the man when a series of familiar howls sounded through the destruction._

_Tsume and Kiba rushed passed her in blurs, much to her confusion and dread. Tsume leapt at the man but stranger skillfully jumped away only to be blindsided by Kiba. The two giant wolves circled the man but the man didn't seem afraid, instead he looked betrayed and hurt. More people arrived to the man's aid and Cheza suddenly rushed forward with surprising speed._

_A strange power rushed through her veins and she opened her mouth, a strange green gas escaping pass her lips. Kiba and Tsume instinctively moved away and so did a few of the others; the ones who were too slow dropped like stones on the ground, unmoving and unbreathng. Tsume and Kiba returned to Cheza's side and the people glared at them with hell's fire in their eyes._

_Hige, Blue and Toboe suddenly leapt from the shadows and took out a few men with a level of viciousness tha Cheza was unaccostumed too. The three wolves made their way over to their pack and stared down the remainder of the men with their predatory eyes. All was silent with the exception of screams and the fires roaring. The silence was broken by the sound of a scream that was all too familiar to the pack._

_The pack all turned to face the source of the sound, but their joy was short lived by the sheer look of horror and betrayal that was written on the other Flower Maiden's face. The one that they had searched for, the one that opened Paradise for them, the one that Kiba loved more than anything was afraid of them. Kiba moved towards Sakura, but she stumbled back. _

_"W-why?" she spoke softly and the pack looked confused at her question. The man whom Cheza been staring at earlier appeared beside Sakura and placed his hand on her shoulder, which made Kiba growl loudly and bare his fangs._

_"Why did you do this?" Sakura sobbed as tears ran down her face and she stepped closer to the man, which made Kiba whine. Cheza moved towards the other Flower Maiden wanting to embrace her sister but Sakura took a step back, but Sakura took another step back. Rejecting her, rejecting all of them._

**_"I HATE YOU!" _**_Sakura screamed and Cheza could physically feel the pack's pain, while Kiba's heart simply shattered along with the dream._

The pack pulled out of Cheza's mind abruptly and Toboe whined in a mixture of pain and sorrow, while Hige tilted his head towards the sky and howled in sorrow with Blue joining him. Cheza had tears streaming down her cheeks and Tsume was at lost how to comfort her, as he tried to endure his own emotional trauma. Kiba was oddly silent as he bowed his head low to the ground and tried to regain control of his rapidly beating heart and the chest pains that followed.

_'What was that?' _Toboe asked with sorrow laced clearly in his tone, the question wasn't directed at anyone in particular. Everyone remained quiet for a long time, before Kiba voiced everyone's exact thoughts.

_'A future filled with pain.'_

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><p>Three years. It had been three long years and still Sakura remained asleep. Naruto had gone to train with Jiraiya two years ago, hoping that when he returned his crush and teammate would be awake. No such luck. Everyone had grown accostumed to see the strange flower-like pod in the middle of the training field and everyoen from Konoha 12 would stop to visit it at least once a day, if they could.<p>

They talked to the comatose Sakura about all sorts of things, not knowing if she could hear them or not. Some of the things that were spoken were about general things, such as how the Hokage had gotten drunk while she was suppose to be doing paperwork. Other things were personal for Sakura' ears alone, like how Ino had a crush on Chouji.

Sakura had become a form of confidant for everyone, even though she didn't respond to their words, just being able to speak about it freely was enough for them.

Today, Kakashi came to see her which was a surprise in its own right. Over the last three years, Kakashi had silently watched over Sakura but not directly approached the strange flower. He drained the chakra from his ears when people came to talk to his student, to respect their privacy.

"Hey there, Sakura. It's been a while hasn't it...? You must think I'm a terrible sensei, I don't blame you if you do. Hell, I think I am one too," Kakashi spoke in a low tone and Sakura's body remained motionless inside the pod.

"I'm pretty sure that you can't hear me, but that's okay. I can't believe its been three years...it's like your life is passing by you without you even knowing it," Kakashi continued to speak and he bowed his head.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. I'm sorry for being a failure of a sensei, I'm sorry for allowing you to be taken from us, I'm sorry for not training you and Naruto, I'm sorry for not stopping Sasuke, I'm sorry for you having to suffer. Damn it, I'm sorry I'm such a screw up!" Kakashi poured out his heart to his unresponsive student.

"I know words don't mean much, but this is all I can give you right now while your in this state. Sakura, I need you to wake up. Not just for me, but for everyone else as well. Naruto isn't himself, its as if he's on auto-pilot just living through the days. Tsunade-sama doesn't show it but she's worried about you as well. She blames herself for not being able to help you, she's concerned about how you are lasting so long inside of there without any form of nutrients or supplements," Kakashi continued to speak with his body now trembling; his head was still bowed and he failed to notice Sakura's hand twitch or the flicker of her eyelids.

"Rock Lee doesn't exclaim about the 'Power of Youth' as much and Ino Yamanka doesn't chatter senselessly anymore. Hinata Hyuga has drawn back into shell and we rarely see Shino Abruame these days. Neji Hyuga is colder than he was before, even to his own teammates. Tenten, hell the girl, doesn't even polish her weapons anymore!" Kakashi continued to rant about the changes in behavior among her fellow shinobi, missing all the signs of Sakura responding.

"Shikamaru Nara has taken to smoking! Kiba Inuzuka trains endlessly and attacks anymore who tries to stop him! Sakura, they are all destroying themselves! You have a huge impact on each of their lives and they need you! Please, wake up!" Kakashi shouted as his head snapped up to look at his student with tormented eyes.

A long silence passed as Kakashi slowly began to regain his composure, he turned to return to his post but stopped short when the ground began to shake. Kakashi quickly spun around to see the pod was glowing brightly, so much in fact that he had to shield his eyes. Kakashi spiked his chakra as high it could go and his eyes widened when the pod began to open.

Konoha 12 and various other shinobi arrived at the training field in record time, followed by the Hokage and even a few civilians. Everyone hid their eyes from the brillant light and Sakura floated up from the pod with her markings glowing slightly. Her body sparkled lightly as if she were covered in diamond dust and everyone quickly turned to look at her as the glowing dimmed down.

"Sakura-Chan," Naruto whispered softly as he stared at his floating teammate. She had grown in her time inside the pod, her hair was long and flowing reaching the back of her knees, covering her private areas from view and her body had matured some.

Naruto took a step forward and Sakura's eyes slowly began to open, revealing the same dazzling emerald green eyes that marked her as a Flower Maiden. She smiled softly at her teammate before her eyes slowly turned to everyone else. Tsunade stepped forward and pulled Sakura to her in a fierce hug, her back to everyone so no one could see that the Hokage was crying.

"Welcome back, Sakura."


	3. New World

Here's chapter 2! Please read and review! :)

**_Chapter 2: New World  
><em>****_Reccommend Song: Can't Breathe by Leona Lewis_**

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><p>You don't choose who you fall in love with because if you could it would have saved many people a whole lot of heartache and pain. Sakura sat in a tree that overlooked one of the training fields which Kiba Inuzuka and Naruto Uzumaki were currently training in. They knew she was there and that only motivated them to fight harder; to protect her and to prove their love to her.<p>

Ino had taken Sakura shopping to get her a new shinobi wardrobe and Sakura simply didn't have it in her to refuse the enthusiastic Yamanka. Sakura was now clothed in a long white jacket that has a black stripe going down the sleeves and black version of her clan symbol on the back. Underneath the jacket she wore a black tube top over a short sleeved fishnet shirt along with tight black shorts that reached her mid-thigh. She wore black knee-high sandals that had a two inch white heel.

Sakura wasn't too happy with her somewhat revealing clothes, but they did well to cover most of her markings without directly clashing with them. The Haruno, herself, has chosen the black and white color combination for convenience and simplicity. She had traded in her genin forehead protector that has been navy blue for one that was now black and had a longer ribbon, which she continued to tie around her eyes.

Sakura had cut her overgrown hair once again to a reasonable length, which meant it now reached the small of her back. Due to her ability to be able to call various forms of plants to her aid, she decided to weave small flowers that were highly poisonous (but not to herself) into her hair. Sakura leaned against the hard bark of the tree and sighed softly a cool breeze flitted through Konoha; the summer was coming to an end.

Sakura felt a slight pain flit across her chest and before she could stop herself a small cry escaped her lips. Naruto and Kiba both stopped in mid attack when their keen hearing heard the distressed sound. Sakura turned towards where their chakra signatures were coming from and she raised her hand to assure them that she was fine.

The truth was that Sakura was _far _from fine. Ever since she had woken up from her 'hibernation' as she liked to call it, she had begun to feel the effects of being separated from her mate. As crazy as it may sound, Sakura Haruno was going through the first stages of separation anxiety and it was beginning to cause her physical pain.

"Sakura-Chan, do you want to come with us to get some ramen?" Naruto's voice distracted the Flower Maiden from her discomfort and she nodded her head, before she jumped down from the tree and gave the two men a smile.

"Actually, I have a better idea. How about we go to that new dango shop that just opened up a few days ago?" Sakura suggested and Naruto whined but was quickly silenced when Sakura smacked him in the back of his head.

"We are getting dango," she stated in a firm tone that left no room for arguments and Naruto sighed, before he kicked the ground in a dejected manner. Kiba laughed at the blonde before he rested his gaze on the cherry blossom that had a smug look on her face, knowing that she had got her way.

Even after all the years that had passed, Sakura's scent still attracted him but the scent of an Alpha was still on her which confused Kiba. Surely, as more time passed the less prominent the scent would be but to the Inuzuka the scent of an Alpha seemed to have grown stronger. Sakura turned to Kiba and he could tell by her stance that she was curious if he had any objections; he didn't.

"Dango it is," he replied in a smooth tone that was full of his usual mischievous charm and Sakura laughed, before she turned to leave the training fields with the two men following behind her with no hesitation.

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><p>Kiba opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was that he was in a dank, dirty cell. His head hurt and he was disoriented, having no idea where he was. His senses were dulled to the point that they were completely useless to him and he was very weak. He tried to sit up the world around him began to spin violently and he quickly rejected that idea.<p>

"It seems that this one has woken up, please go inform Kabuto-Sama," a foreign voice met Kiba's ears and he resisted the urge to growl, knowing that it wouldn't help his situation.

Silence surrounded Kiba for a long time, before a stunning realization hit him with enough force to force the breath out of him. He wasn't in his wolf skin, his true form, and for some ungodly reason he couldn't phase into it no matter how much he tried. With that unsettling thought in mind, Kiba forced his body to cooperate with him no matter how much it protested and he slowly was able to sit up.

A sharp pain flashed through Kiba's head and he groaned as he gritted his teeth. Strange images flashed through his mind, some he recognized and some he didn't but the one that he honed in on was of his love, his mate; Sakura. A sharp tugging pain erupted in his chest and if he hadn't already been on the ground, the sheer intensity of the pain would have brought him to his knees.

**_A week earlier…._**

_In the same moment that Sakura woke from her hibernation, the pack had arrived at First Mountain which in theory was the end of their world. None of them knew what to expect so it caught them all completely off guard when the ground beneath them suddenly shattered. The sky spun in a vicious cycle above them, day and night passed in mere seconds._

_Seasons passed by just as quickly and Kiba felt like his body was being torn apart from every direction. Everyone was yelling and screaming in agony at the unbelievable pain that was being unleashed on their bodies. Then, everything simply stopped. The pain disappeared, the world disappeared and the pack found themselves floating in a blank white space._

_'What is this? Did we die?' Kiba mentally questioned himself and his only response was infinite silence. Kiba blinked once, twice, a third time before he finally allowed his eyes to stay shut and he heard Cheza humming a familiar tune to fill the deep silence. _

_'Hija de la Luna,' the Flower Maiden's words echoed in the silence and a warm sensation filled Kiba's body; he felt safe and loved. In Kiba's mind he could image that Sakura was embracing him and that was enough for him to simply let go._

Kiba panted out loud as the fractured memory came back to him and despite the circumstances that he was currently in a shadow of a smile crossed his face. He was in Sakura's world; he was one step closer to finding her, one step closer to being with her and finally entering Paradise. The sound of footsteps broke him of his distant thoughts and Kiba growled when Kabuto appeared in front of his cell's door.

"I'm quite surprised that you're awake. When I found you and your friends, you were all on the verge of death. Most severe case of chakra depletion that I've ever seen," Kabuto spoke as he adjusted his glasses so the dim light would make a glint in the lens to prevent Kiba from seeing his eyes. Kiba wasn't interested in small talk and he felt strange energy spike inside him, giving him the strength to stand up and glare at Kabuto.

"Where is my pack?" Kiba growled out with obvious threat laced in his voice if he didn't receive the answer he wanted. Kabuto chuckled once before he crossed his arms over his chest with a superior look on his face.

"They are unharmed at the moment," Kabuto replied cryptically and Kiba snarled as he charged at the cell door, only to have Kabuto take a step back out of the enraged wolf's reach. Kiba's eyes turned a bright molten gold color and his canines were more pronounced as his wolf nature began to show more in his rage, even without his ability to fully shift.

"Temper, temper. You really must learn to control yourself if you wish to see your friends again," Kabuto scolded Kiba as if he were a small child and the wolf pulled at the cell bars trying to free himself in order to get to the deranged medical nin.

"Do not patronize me!" Kiba snapped as his body shook with obvious anger and irritation. Kabuto made a clicked his tongue against his teeth and Kiba found it very easy to image what it would be like to tear the silver haired weirdo apart, limb from limb.

"Hm, you have a very interesting ability there. Similar to that of an Inuzuka but far more feral, is it a kekkei genkai?" Kabuto wondered out loud and Kiba didn't bother to hide his confusion at the medic's ramblings, he didn't care what was being said all he wanted to know was the whereabouts of his pack.

"Tell me, do all your friends possess this ability as well? I'll make a deal with you, if you tell me everything that I want to know I'll answer any questions you have as well," Kabuto tried to bargain with Kiba and the wolf glared at him. Kiba didn't trust Kabuto, but he was stupid either. He knew that he needed to learn more about this new world in order to find Sakura.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I do not have a 'kekkei genkai' or whatever that is and neither does my pack. We are wolves with the exception of one, who can take on the form of humans to blend in. We are not from this world, whether you choose to believe it or not. We have come here looking for Sakura to take her with us to Paradise," Kiba spoke in a low tone after a while and Kabuto frowned as he once again readjusted his glasses.

"Sakura? You don't happen to mean Sakura Haruno, do you?" another voice spoke from seemingly out of nowhere, this one being deeper than Kabuto's and much more dark. Sasuke Uchiha stepped out of the shadows with his Sharingan blazing, but Kiba wasn't intimidated and he met the Uchiha's stare head on which surprised both Sasuke and Kabuto.

"That would be the one. She is my mate and I will find her," Kiba spoke in a serious tone and Sasuke's eyes flashed a darker shade of red before a stoic expression covered his face.

"What could you possibly want with that deadweight? She's weak and annoying, better off staying where she is at," Sasuke commented in a flat tone and Kiba's vision turned red.

The foreign energy sprang up within him at an alarming rate and Kabuto took a step back as the wolf's chakra became visible. Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction and before the Uchiha could do anything else he found himself dodging a lethal attack from a giant, very pissed, white wolf. Kiba couldn't perform human thoughts; his instincts were driving him and he barely noticed that he had escaped from the cell; all he could focus on was destroying the arrogant bastard who dare insult his mate.

* * *

><p>Sakura felt strange. Her body had gone completely rigid and the stick of dango stayed firmly in place between her lips. Naruto and Kiba were too busy chatting to one another about which was better steak or ramen, for them to notice the sudden change in the cherry blossom's demeanor. However; Hinata whom Sakura had invited to join them wasn't so oblivious to Sakura's abrupt change in behavior and the Hyuga princess touched the Haruno's arm in concern.<p>

Sakura flinched so violently that the entire table shook and Hinata quickly retracted her hand in fear that she had somehow hurt Sakura. The Flower Maiden dropped his dango stick onto the plate before turned her head in Hinata's direction and apologized for her jumpiness.

"I'm alright, Hinata. I'm sorry if I alarmed you," Sakura tried to convince the Hyuga and the Byakugan user reluctantly nodded her head, but discreetly chose to keep her eye on Sakura.

Sakura didn't have time to think about what had brought on the sudden change, before a Jonin had suddenly appeared in the dango shop informing her that Tsunade wished to see her at the Tower. Sakura nodded her head in acceptance and she stood up before bidding her friends farewell, before taking off towards the Tower.

The wind felt good against Sakura's skin but the Haruno couldn't shake the feeling that she was supposed to be somewhere. She sped along the rooftops and landed on the balcony of Tsunade's office, knocking politely on her mentor's window. Sakura heard Tsunade sigh as she opened the window for the Flower Maiden and Sakura quickly moved inside.

Shikamaru and Neji both stood in attendance which surprised Sakura a bit considering when Tsunade usually called Sakura it involved the girl's medical ninjustu training. Tsunade had discovered that even though Sakura had spent three years in a state of inactivity it had not affected the overall growth of the girl's chakra source. Sakura's reserves were actually more than they had been before she had gone into hibernation.

"I have called you all here for a mission. It is a B rank recon mission that will be sending you four to explore the borders of Suna. The Kazekage has given me permission to allow you to patrol for any signs of Akatsuki activity. If you encounter any Akatsuki members you are not to engage unless necessary. Is that clear?" Tsuande waited for everyone to nod their heads, but Sakura was mentally reeling from the fact that Tsuande was allowing her to go on a mission at all.

"Shikamaru will be the team captain; you are to follow his orders down to the last syllable. Sakura is the team medic just in case you are unable to avoid any confrontations. Neji you are the one that I depend the most on for any information that may be intercepted, you are to report directly to the Kazekage upon your arrival and I expect you to be back within a week. You have two hours to prepare and then you will depart. Any questions?" Tsunade spoke in an official tone and no one spoke, to which Tsunade nodded.

"You are dismissed with the exception of Sakura," Tsuande relayed to them and both of the geniuses bowed before they left, leaving Sakura alone with the Hokage. Tsunade sighed and pulled out a bottle of sake from inside her desk before taking a long gulp from it.

"I'll be honest with you, Sakura. I don't really want you to go on any missions, but we are limited on medical shinobi and you are improving at a rate that is inhuman. I want you to be careful with your abilities, the Akatsuki may begin to target you also," Tsunade warned her apprentice and Sakura nodded once, before she bowed in respect to her mentor.

"I won't disappoint you, Shishou. I'll will be on my top guard," Sakura promised and Tsunade smiled before she folded her hands under her chin to study her student. The Haruno had grown in such little time.

"I expect no less. Make me proud, Sakura," the Hokage spoke in authoritative tone that bordered motherly and Sakura nodded with a smile before she left Tsunade's office. "And, please be safe," the busty blonde added in a soft tone before she turned to look out her window to view her village.


	4. Propositions and Promises

Here's chapter 3! Please read and review! :)

_**Chapter 3: Propositions and Promises  
>Recommend Song: Say (All I Need) by One Republic<strong>_

* * *

><p>It hadn't taken Sasuke a long time to overpower Kiba once the initial shock of the feral man's transformation had worn off. Sasuke pressed the edge of his sword against Kiba's neck but the wolf did not yield, if anything the subtle threat only made his eyes glow a brighter shade of molten gold. The wolf struggled to free itself from Sasuke's grasp but Sasuke held steady with his usual stoic expression on his face.<p>

"I wouldn't try to fight. I can sense that your chakra is nearly gone and I don't believe that you'll fancy passing out again," Kabuto's voice called out from behind Sasuke and Kiba snarled as the foreign energy began to retreat and he felt his body start to phase back into that of a man.

Sasuke's mask of indifference shifted into that of disgust when Kiba turned back into his human form in the nude. The Uchiha removed his sword from Kiba's body and quickly turned away to leave Kabuto with the strange man. Kabuto removed his lab coat and tossed it to Kiba, who pulled it on with some reluctance and the medic-nin motioned for him to follow.

Kiba rose to his feet slowly and used the wall as support as he followed Kabuto down the hallway in silence. Kabuto lead him to a small cell and Kiba's eyes widened as a familiar scent reached his nose. He pushed past the silver haired medic and grabbed onto the bars of the cell as he peered into the darkness. In a small corner, Cheza sat with a fearful look on her face which turned into relief when she saw it was Kiba.

"Open the cell," Kiba commanded Kabuto and the medic-nin made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat, before he finally relented to Kiba's command. As soon as the cell was opened, Kiba rushed inside and pulled Cheza into his arms. The flower maiden's body shook in a mixture of sadness, confusion and overall despair.

"Tsume. This one wants to see Tsume," Cheza cried softly onto the lab coat that Kiba wore and the wolf turned back to Kabuto with a serious expression on his face.

"Where is the rest of my pack?" he questioned and Kabuto shrugged with in nonchalance with made Kiba see red and a loud growl vibrated throughout the entire cell, which made Cheza gasp in surprise.

"You do realize that you are in my position to ask any questions or throw around commands, right? It was out of pure generosity that I am allowing you to see the woman, but please don't assume that you are in charge," Kabuto's voice was low and held an undercurrent of power that hadn't been there before.

"Now, I have a proposition for you. You're abilities are most interesting and could be used greatly to our benefit, if you were to join us I would be more than happy to reunite you with your beloved 'pack' in addition to helping you harness your power," Kabuto proposed in a complete business tone and Kiba narrowed his eyes in distrust.

"We are not tools. I don't care for whatever your plans may be; nor do I care for this new power. I want my pack to be safe, I want my mate in my arms and I want to leave this place," Kiba growled in response and Kabuto chuckled before he once again readjusted his glasses.

"Would you consider joining us if I promised to locate and bring you Sakura Haruno?" Kabuto asked and Kiba's entire body tensed as he stared at Kabuto long and hard. Cheza looked at Kabuto and she instinctively knew that he was a no good, lying bastard.

"This one doesn't trust him. But, this one also knows that this one and the others don't have a choice," Cheza whispered softly into Kiba's ear and Kiba sighed softly, before he nodded his head in agreement with Cheza's comment.

"Deal. But, I want to see the rest of my pack," Kiba finally conceded as he rose to his feet, pulling Cheza along with him and a dark smirk appeared on Kabuto's face before he nodded his head in acceptance.

"Of course. Welcome to the Sound Village," he spoke in a false polite tone and motioned for Kiba and Cheza to walk ahead of him. The entire time that Kiba had been in Kabuto's company the only word that kept repeating itself in his mind was: Snake.

* * *

><p>Sakura wiped the sweat from her forehead as she continued to trudge after her brunette teammates in the unrelenting heat of the desert. The wind was embedded with sand and mercilessly scratched against her bare skin much to her general irritation. She had been happy when she left the village, finally able to go on a mission but her mood quickly changed when she realized that the desert was just as brutal and merciless, if not more, as Konoha during a dry season.<p>

"How are you holding up, Sakura?" Shikamaru's voice held an edge of amusement which only grew to irritate Sakura further and the Haruno quickened her pace so she was walking in between Neji and Shikamaru.

"Just peachy," she replied in a dry tone and Shikamaru couldn't resist the urge to chuckle while an amused smirk appeared on Neji's face. Sakura mentally rolled her eyes at the two geniuses, only they would find amusement in her suffering.

The trio from Konoha continued their journey but stopped abruptly when Neji grabbed Sakura's arm and looked into the distance with his Byakugan activated. Sakura stretched her chakra out like a thick blanket and a soft gasp escaped her mouth before she turned in Shikamaru's direction.

"There are two chakra signatures approaching at a rapid pace. One is extremely high and the other is suffering from severe chakra depletion," Sakura informed Shikamaru in a serious tone and Neji grimaced.

"It's one of the Akatsuki and the other person is the Kazekage," Neji elaborated and Shikamaru's eyes widened while Sakura's entire body tensed. Shikamaru ran his hand through his hair with a scowl before he let out a deep sigh.

"Tsunade has ordered us not to engage any of the Akatsuki unless necessary and we have to obey her orders," Shikamaru spoke up after a while and Sakura's head snapped sharply in his direction so fast that he feared that the Haruno would have whiplash.

"It's the Kazekage, Shikamaru! We can't just do anything! Gaara is one of Naruto's precious people and a important ally to the village, not to mention that he's come to our village's aid more times than we can count!" Sakura snapped and Shikamaru glared at the pinkette lightly.

"I know, Sakura! But, none of us are in any position to go head to head with any members of the Akatsuki!" Shikamaru replied in a sharp logical tone and Sakura's hands balled up into fists by her side.

"Nara is right, Sakura. Our best bet is to get to the village and try to contact Tsunade about the situation," Neji spoke in a level tone and Sakura forced her head to nod in acceptance, but Shikamaru shook his head in negative.

"Suna's Kazekage has just been abducted; I believe that the village will be in some form of lockdown. You two will venture towards Suna and try to gain entrance, but I will return to Konoha and inform Tsunade personally," Shikamaru informed his teammates and he gave Neji a look that conveyed that he was now the mission's leader.

"Sakura, I am serious. Do not engage any members of the Akatsuki unless absolutely necessary," Shikamaru repeated in a serious tone and Sakura inclined her head in his direction before she touched his arm with a fleeting smile on her face.

"Be careful, Shika," she replied and Shikamaru sighed before he placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder and squeezed lightly in reassurance. He turned to Neji and nodded his head once more before he took off in the opposite direction of Suna.

"Let's go," Neji spoke in a low tone and Sakura began to sprint in the direction of Suna, ignoring the small ache in her chest that occurred when she felt the chakra signatures of Gaara and the unknown Akatsuki member fly over top of her and Neji.

* * *

><p>Kankuro stood at the village gates with his puppets lying around him in many pieces. The puppet user glared at the Akatsuki member whose poison tipped iron tail swished above him ominously. Kankuro fell to one of his knees as the poison from the wounds that he had acquired began to course through his veins at a much faster rate.<p>

The puppet user's vision began to blur and he could barely make out the retreating form of the Akatsuki member. Kankuro's body began to shut down and his muscles twitched and shuddered out of control. His breaths came out in short, sharp gasps as the brutal sun continued to beat down on him mercilessly. The world around him began to spin and he caught himself beginning to fade in and out of consciousness.

"Kankuro! Kankuro, can you hear me…..." a voice called out to him but it sounded so far away and he couldn't find the strength to respond. He something cool be placed on his forehead and he cried out weakly.

"He's been poisoned and it's a strong one. I need to treat him right now or else he won't make it…." the soft sounding voice spoke up again and Kankuro couldn't make out the words of another voice, this one distinctively deeper.

Kankuro didn't have time to focus on the voices before he felt a foreign chakra enter his system and he thrashed around violently with a strength that he didn't know he had. He felt his body being restrained as the chakra continued to surge into his body, trying to locate and destroy the poison that was wrecking havoc inside of him.

'Kankuro!" the voice was sharp and the puppet user's eyes snapped open in a quick succession, searching around him violently until they focused on the woman kneeling down in front of him. Light pink hair, fair skin with unusual marking and a Konoha headband over her eyes. Kankuro knew this woman, but he couldn't remember her name for a reason.

"I've gotten rid of most of the poison, but he still needs an antidote and plenty of rest. Neji, help me carry him," the woman instructed and Kankuro watched in confusion as another Konoha shinobi moved to his side to help the puppet user to his feet.

"G-gaara," Kankuro's voice sounded raspy and dry to his own ears, and he felt the small woman tense beside him where his arm was thrown over her shoulder in order to keep him upright.

"We know," she replied in a soft tone and Kankuro sighed in defeat as the two Konoha Shinobi lead him back into the village after the guards had seen his injured form. Kankuro glanced back at the woman's form, which was still blurry in his eyes, before a series of coughs erupted from his chest.

The puppet user's coughs slowly subsided when he felt a hand on his chest and a steady flow of soothing chakra circulating around his lungs to help him breathe easier. This woman was painfully familiar to Kankuro and it stressed him to no end that he couldn't recall her name.

"We are going to get Gaara back, Kankuro. I promise," the woman assured him after a while and the fog around Kankuro's mind finally lifted when he heard the passion declaration of promise escape from the woman's lips. This was Naruto Uzumaki's female teammate, the one who had been asleep for three years.

"Sakura Haruno."


	5. A New Development

Sorry for the late update, I got grounded for a while.  
>Here's chapter 4! Please read and review! :)<p>

_**Chapter 4: A New Development  
>Recommend Song: Hero by Nickelback<strong>_

* * *

><p>Sakura sat on a chair beside Kankuro's bedside constantly sending out pulses of chakra to check his overall state of health. The Flower Maiden had given the puppet user an antidote, she had made personally, an hour ago and it seemed to remove all the traces of poison from his system. Sakura didn't move as she heard the door of Kankuro's hospital room open and frantic footsteps rushed in.<p>

"Kankuro! Oh god, is he okay!" a slightly panicked voice asked Sakura and the Haruno nodded her head in affirmative, before she stood up and allowed the newcomer to sit down.

"Temari, they took Gaara. I tried to get him back," Kankuro's voice was quiet and the sand kunoichi had to strain to her him. Sakura heard Temari released a soft, horrified gasp and the Flower Maiden could smell the saltiness of tears that were beginning to form in the other woman's eyes.

"We'll get him back!" proclaimed a passionate voice from the doorway and Sakura wasn't surprised to recognize the chakra signatures of Naruto and Kakashi; Shikamaru sure could get a message delivered quickly.

"We've received the message from Shikamaru and Neji has informed us of the current situation here, Sakura you did well," Kakashi praised his student and Sakura could only nod her head in thanks.

"Tsunade wants you to return to the village as soon as possible. She said that the mission standards have changed," Kakashi continued and Sakura's head snapped in his direction with such a force that he failed she would get whiplash.

"Excuse me? You've got to be joking," Sakura's voice was incredulous and Kakashi released a soft sigh, while Naruto stared at his pink haired teammate with a sympathetic look on his face.

"We are dealing with the Akatsuki, Sakura. You have to understand that you'll only be a liability," Kakashi stopped in mid-sentence when he felt Sakura's chakra flare angrily in the small, overcrowded room.

"A liability! The Akatsuki are after all the Jinjuriki and you're saying **I **am the liability!" Sakura shouted in outrage as her markings began to glow faintly along her body much to everyone's surprise.

"You expect me to return to the village when my teammates are risking their lives to save someone, who I also consider to be my friend! No! I am going with you, Hatake Kakashi and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" Sakura informed him and everyone was shocked speechless.

"That girl sure does have a backbone, I like that. She reminds me of myself when I was younger," a different voice spoke up from behind Kakashi and Sakura crossed her arms over her chest with a serious expression on her face.

"Chiyo-baasama," Temari called from her seat and she moved to get up, but Chiyo waved her away. Naruto looked at Chiyo before he turned his attention back to Sakura, who looked focused and alert.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sakura-Chan?" he asked once more and Sakura wasted no time in nodding her head in affirmation. Chiyo stepped towards Sakura and studied the Flower Maiden, intensely.

"You're a strange one," Chiyo commented and Sakura merely shrugged her shoulders in response, before she directed her attention to Kakashi who was mentally dreading having to explain everything to Tsunade.

"Gai and his team will arrive shortly and they will work as our back-up. You, Naruto and I will be leaving as soon as it is convenient to track down the Kazekage before the trail gets too cold to follow," Kakashi instructed in a serious tone and both of the shinobi nodded their heads in understanding.

"I'm coming too," Temari suddenly announced as she stood from her seat and Kakashi sighed, before he opened his mouth to speak but Chiyo cut him off before he had the chance to get a single word out.

"No. You will remain here with the Kazekage gone and you're brother in the hospital, you will need to take control of the village until we retrieve Gaara," Chiyo spoke in a tone that left no room for arguments and Temari reluctantly bowed her head in acknowledgment.

"I will be going instead," Chiyo continued and Sakura couldn't help the small smile that formed on her face; she was really beginning to like this old woman.

* * *

><p>The wolves were ruthless. Kabuto watched from behind a one-way mirror as the wolves tore through several sound shinobi with ease. Kabuto made a notice that Tsume seemed to be their best fighter, Hige had the best sense of smell, Toboe the best hearing, Blue had the best reflexes and Kiba was their leader. Cheza stayed out of the way for the most part, but every once in a while Kabuto would sense her chakra spike randomly before a small earthquake followed, knocking the sound shinobi off their feet.<p>

"How are they?" the sound of Orochimaru's hissing voice make Kabuto jump slightly, before he regained control over himself and adjusted his glasses. He looked down at his notes and turned his attention his master.

"They have no control over their chakra and their attacks are completely animalistic. The girl has shown some signs of the Earth affinity, but other than that they rely on nothing but brute strength," Kabuto relayed his viewings to Orochimaru and the snake Sanin was silent.

"Then that means they are completely open for molding and shaping into the ideal shinobi. See that they receive the proper training," Orochimaru replied simply before he turned on his heel and left the observation room.

_**Inside the Training Room….**_

Kiba was not amused, no, he was downright pissed. It was one thing to agree to a training simulation, but apparently in this world, the word training was just another meaning for attempted murder. The pack had no control over their chakra, so they constantly found themselves phasing back and forth from their wolf skin to their human skin. It was a complete miracle that none of the pack had lost a limb during the erratic transformations.

'_Toboe, get Cheza!' _Tsume growled as leapt onto one of the shinobi and tore their throat clean out, uncaring of the blood that spurted onto his fur. The carnage that surrounded the wolves barely registered in the back on their minds. Toboe moved towards Cheza who was crouched down in a corner, clutching her hands to her chest as she tried to stay out of the way.

An Oto Shinobi blindsided the youngest wolf with a water justu knocking him to a wall. The shinobi then turned his attention towards Cheza and removed a tanto from his thigh and looked at her with lethal intent. Cheza watched as the other wolves tried to subdue their attackers and she scrambled closer against the wall, hoping that it would hide her from the Sound Shinobi's view.

"Cheza!" Kiba shouted in panic and Tsume backed handed a shinobi away with his paw as he watched his leader race towards Cheza. The Shinobi raised its tanto; the blade glittering brightly under the florescent lights and Cheza closed her eyes in fear. The tanto struck down and blood splattered across the walls, Cheza screamed.

_**Outskirts of Suna…..**_

Pain flooded through Sakura's body and she screamed as she missed the branch she had been planning to land on. As she plummeted towards the ground her mind flashed to a severely injured Kiba and her markings began to glow. She could faintly hear Naruto yelling out her name but her mind was elsewhere as she felt her chakra begin to drain considerably.

'_How much do you care for your wolf, child?' _a motherly voice echoed within Sakura's thoughts and the pinkette cried out when another wave of pain wracked her body, she could feel Kiba suffering.

"Heal him," Sakura whispered weakly, she didn't notice that Kakashi had caught her and Naruto and Chiyo were staring at her in concern. Her body convulsed and more of her chakra seemed to leave her body.

'_Would you give your life energy for him?' _the voice asked Sakura gently and the Flower Maiden could feel tears stream down her cheeks and she felt Kakashi set her down as he tried to identify the source of her pain.

"Take it all, I don't need it! Just heal him! Save Kiba!" Sakura screamed out loud before a final burst of chakra left her body and she fell over in a dead faint, her marking finally ceased their glowing, leaving her teammates shocked beside her.

* * *

><p>Kabuto couldn't believe his eyes as he watched Kiba's skin knit itself back together as a foreign chakra covered all of his cuts and scrapes. Kabuto hadn't intentionally meant for the Sound shinobi to harm any of the wolves severely but apparently, the wolves were more loyal to one another than the medic nin had first suspected if they were willing to take death blows for one another.<p>

Kabuto glanced back at the pink haired woman who was now being held by Tsume with tears silently rolling down her cheeks. The moment she had screamed, it seemed as if the world had gone to hell. The ground had split clean in half swallowing up more than half of the remaining sound shinobi, the entire room shook violently and Kabuto quickly had to evacuate them into a medical room just before the foundations gave out completely.

Kabuto turned his attention back to Kiba, who was grimacing in pain as the large slash that went from his shoulder to his abdomen continued to heal itself. He had never seen that amount of rapid healing in his life and he moved to approach one of the wolves to ask them about it, but a vine rose from the ground and whipped towards Kabuto violently.

"Cheza?" Tsume asked his Flower Maiden softly, wondering if she was controlling the plant but she merely shook her head in response. Cheza looked at the vine then towards Kiba, before she rested her head on Tsume's shoulder.

"It's the other one. That one is protecting us and healing Kiba, but this one doesn't know how," Cheza replied in a weary tone and Kabuto frowned at the cryptic words that the Flower Maiden spoke in.

"Stop! That's enough, Sakura!" Kiba's loud sound of anguish made everyone snap their attention to him and Kabuto studied the wolf's form, noticing that the one life threatening injury had turned it nothing more than a scar but the foreign chakra hadn't retreated yet. Kiba's eyes snapped open and he reached out to grab Kabuto by the collar of his.

"This energy, how do you control it!" Kiba growled out as his eyes burned a molten gold color. Kabuto wasn't easily intimidated but the wolf looked wild, ready to kill at the moment's notice. Kabuto gulped and tried to think of a way to explain to Kiba in a simple manner that chakra wasn't easy to manipulate without a few years of practice.

Kiba wasn't pleased with Kabuto's silence and he growled, barely noticing how it seemed to vibrate the entire room. He could feel his connection with Sakura slipping as he couldn't to use the foreign energy and he was causing him to panic. He felt someone place their hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see Blue, who looked unusually solemn.

"Let it go, Kiba. Give it back to her," Blue spoke in a low tone and despite Kiba's confusion, his instincts knew exactly what to do and he felt the chakra drain away from him leaving him tired and worn. He released his hold on Kabuto and fell back on his cot, his eyes returning to their usual blue-green color. Kabuto straightened his shirt and regarded Kiba with a look of distain before he turned his attention to the rest of the wolves.

"What the hell is going on?" Kabuto asked not mincing words and none of the wolves made an attempt to answer him to which he scowled. Kabuto pulled a kunai from a holster on his thigh and quickly grabbed an unsuspecting Blue, holding the kunai to her throat. Hige growled menacingly as his eyes changed into a burning yellow color.

"You all listen to me and you listen to me good. **I am in charge.** You listen to my orders and you answer all my questions!" Kabuto snapped and Kiba made a slight nodding motion towards his pack to listen to Kabuto, to which the medic nin smirked and released Blue who quickly ran into Hige's arms who was still glaring at Kabuto with hell's fire.

"Now, what is exactly is the story with Sakura Haruno?" Kabuto asked in a polite tone and Kiba bared his teeth in Kabuto's direction who merely smiled in response. Kiba released a pained sigh before he looked up at the ceiling, then he spoke.


End file.
